The Paradocs Podcast with Eric Larson

Latest Episodes:

Episode 076: A PBM Not Looking to Rip You Off with Vinay Patel, PharmD Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) have been villains in earlier episodes. Basically, PBM are the largest health care corporations in the US and exert tremendous lobbying pressure. Although their role in health care is to settle claims they make their billions through a complicated series of kickbacks and rebates from drug companies. My guest today is Vinay Patel, a pharmacist who was frustrated by the actions of the PBM and decided to do something about it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 075: How Hospitals Work with David Leonard, JD Jan 14, 2020

Show notes

It isn't often that people walk into hospitals and ask themselves how does this thing work? In fact, the same can be said for those who work in hospitals too. Whether you're a doctor, nurse, phlebotomist, orderly, or patient - how the whole enterprise works is usually a mystery. Also, what protections are there for patients so that they don't have people who are grossly negligent or dangerous caring for them like what happened with the famous case of Dr. Death - Dr. Christopher Muntsch of Texas.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 074: The Ups & Downs in Medical Trends for 2020 Jan 02, 2020

Show notes

The beginning of a new year is always a good time to reflect on the medical trends on where we've been and where we are going. What are the positive and negative medical trends we're seeing right now. Despite all the negativism about health care I believe that there is much to be hopeful about whether you are a patient or physician. Of course, there is no shortage of potential policy misadventures that could make things much worse too. I discuss both the good and bad medical trends in this episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 073: Is Physician Assisted Suicide Good Policy? A discussion with Dr. Aaron Kheriaty Dec 20, 2019

Show notes

As sure as life exists, death will follow. As such, people will continue to try to control not only their life but the circumstances of their death. Life is also full of instances of suffering, pain, and despair. Those who are in significant pain, the throes of depression or despair may not see any solution to suffering except taking their own life. The questions then come down to whether we need to have doctors involved and whether we should encourage those looking to end their life.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 072: Will Hospital Pricing Transparency Rules Help? A Discussion with Dr. Philip Eskew of DPCFrontier.com Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

Many physicians and those supportive of markets in medicine are making a big deal on Trump's proposed executive order to increase price transparency in hospitals. The thinking is that by exposing how much each hospital charges for their services, hospitals will begin to compete on price and the cost of care will go down. Although I believe this to be an admirable goal, I think it is very shortsighted to think that a law or order without a significant market demand will change the behavior of hospitals.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 071: Why That Medical Bill is Crazy Expensive Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

One of the most common questions I get asked about the health care system is why are medical bills so enormous? It seems strange that the explanation of benefits you receive after getting care or services are so obviously inflated. Yet those charges which the hospitals, health care professionals, and pharmacies post are there to see which they clearly have no expectation of getting paid. Why does this happen?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 070: How to Market Your Medical Practice: Dr. Nitin Gupta Nov 22, 2019

Show notes

If you own your own business, which physicians who are independent or run concierge or DPC practices do - you need to focus part of your time on branding and marketing. What words you use to describe yourself is critical to success and an important part of marketing and branding. I speak with Dr. Nitin Gupta about what he did with marketing to turn things around at his clinic.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 069: Designing a Better Pediatric Urgent Care Center. Dr. Corey Fish and Brave Care Nov 13, 2019

Show notes

One of the most expensive ways to receive care in the US health care system is thru an emergency room. The use of urgent care centers is a less expensive alternative. Unfortunately, one of the problems with urgent care centers is that the care is often not very good. It is especially poor when it comes to treating children where the average urgent care refers 40% of its patients to the ER even though about half receive no special treatment.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 068: An Ophthalmologist Sees the Light. A Discussion with Dr. Rudrani Banik Nov 07, 2019

Show notes

Moving from academic medicine to private practice is a scary thing to do for any doctor. But what is it like for a specialist is the city with the highest concentration of her specialty to find patients? My guest today is Dr.Rudrani Banik, who treats patients with vision disturbances, headaches, and other neurological conditions related to the eye. By leaving academics (partly since she still does research) and striking out on her own, she recognized the need to do more than just practice medicine.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emergency Episode on Fixing Michigan's Surprise Billing Problem Nov 04, 2019

Show notes

Surprise billing is a nationwide problem and Michigan is not immune. Surprise billing refers to the instance where patients are expecting their insurance company to pick up the entire tab of a medical bill but they instead find a huge bill for the amount 'left over.' The worst instances of this occurring is when the patient unknowingly encounters someone who is 'out of network' with their insurance company.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Paradocs Podcast with Eric Larson

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected